Canadians - do you like your healthcare?

MissSarah786

I never thought his health reform would pass, even some democrats don't support it.

mrsLesGrossman

Do you know what the rate is and if they have medicaid tax in their income tax?  I am curious about other areas. 

tlv204

Sorry, I have no idea   All I know is that when we were looking at houses that was one of the major reasons we wanted to stay in the county.

mandysmear

I feel very fortunate.  I think it's awesome.  In Alberta they just started allowing some private practices.  I think it's great.  All the rich peeps who don't want to wait a week to see their doctor for a cold can pay someone to see them immediately. People are always saying how our wait times are awful.  When my mom first got diagnosed with cancer the longest she had to wait for a CT scan was 2 weeks.  I don't think that's that bad, personally. But then FFWD when my husband sliced his leg open.  He had about a 10 inch wound on his thigh.  We waited 9 or 10 (I can't quite remember) hours in the ER for them to stitch him up.  He had a bed, but the surgeons were all busy. 

jilybeans4

I guess for me, I'd rather wait 9 or 10 hours in the waiting room for a non-life threatening injury, than pay 5k to eventually get it treated. I think the people who are against universal health care don't understand it. DH is against it too, but until we got married, he would have had to pay 2k to go to the emergency room....and he had insurance. Luckily mine has a lower deductible. My mom's breast cancer would have cost her over 100k had she not been insured. What the heck do people do without insurance? It blows my mind that its even allowed for your life and health to cost that much. It takes a lot longer to earn the money our US heathcare costs than anyone would ever have to wait to get treatment in a universal system.

mrsLesGrossman

People are always saying how our wait times are awful. When my mom first got diagnosed with cancer the longest she had to wait for a CT scan was 2 weeks.  I'm sorry but that is a very long time.  When they said it might be possible that I had cancer, not even sure,, my biopsy was within twenty four hours.  I had the National Healthcare in Haifa and you go to a big Dr's office with a lot of specialists at the same place.  Every town has one and big cities have one in each area.  It was great and they were very responsive.  Some specialists are considered private Drs but you are able to use them with recommendation. 

The_Fried_Monkey

MissSarah, you do realize that not everyone who is on welfare is a slut who has 4 kids by 4 different fathers?  And that you are already paying for public healthcare, its called Medicaid.Pisses me off when people start assuming everyone on Medicaid is on welfare, has a million kids, is scamming the system.  I have a lot of friends who have Medicaid because they can't afford insurance and their jobs don't offer it.  Other friends are disabled, and you have to be on disability for 2 years before Medicare kicks in.In NY, anyone can get Medicaid.  As long as you fall within the income guidelines.  I know other states are different.  SC for example, a single woman who is out of work can't get Medicaid, but if she has a kid, she can. 

mandysmear

Only thing we've been billed for is ambulance rides.  (two of them)  And H's crutches when he sliced his leg open.  Well and prescriptions but lots of companies offer a drug plan for their staff.  Tax sucks, but I'd rather pay it and neer have to worry about being afraid to go to the doctor for a medical problem.Another bonus... We can go to whatever doctors we want.  Not what our insurance company decides. 

jilybeans4

A biopsy within 24 hours is obviously more ideal than a scan in 2 weeks...however, did that 2 weeks hurt anyone? And how much would your biopsy have cost had you not been insured? Something that your average, middle class worker with a family could afford without neglecting to pay other bills?  

ExpatPumpkin

People forget that ER's in the States have long waits too. This is because the uninsured use it like a doctor's office because it's the only way they can get seen. Glad to hear that Canada is allowing private competition for those who can/want to pay extra. This helps keep the lines shorted for everyone and gives people a choice. I wish the States would model a system after Spain's. When I lived there I had to purchase full, private coverage since I'm not an EU citizen. It was cheap - $50/month!!! Similar coverage in the States was about $350/month and it had a payout cap. The deal in Spain is that every citizen has the right to free healthcare. If you want private clinics, however, you can buy a private policy. Because of the public option, these policies are very reasonably priced (see above). This way everyone gets covered, and everyone gets a choice... Same system in Mexico. I love the healthcare I get here.

mrsLesGrossman

I never understand being charged for an ambulence.  I was told they charge if it wasn't medically required to call for one.  My grandfather had a heart attack and we called, they still charged.  Mandy, a lot of plans allow for out of network Drs.  I have out of network coverage.  They mail me a check to send the Dr. 

MissSarah786

Whoa, Fried, I said below that that was NOT my view point and in my first post I never said it was what I thought. It's what you hear on most new stations when the general population phones in, not my views. I don't think the number of kids you have or how you had them or how much money you make should limit your access to health care.

mandysmear

MrsE - they had already removed fluid from around her heart and lung so they knew she had the cancer within 24 hours.  She had to do a CT scan to make sure it was only the fluid. They had already told her she was going to die at this point.  My friend's bro had a weird mass on his leg, went to the doctor and they removed it that afternoon. 

mrsLesGrossman

Mandy's mother also had cancer.  Depending on how active it was, a lot can happen in two weeks.  In her situation it might not have been bad but it could be for someone else. 

mrsLesGrossman

Mandy, I would have flipped if it was two weeks, even if they knew she was terminal. 

mandysmear

That's great mrsE.  I think people should have a choice to go to whatever doctor they want. I don't get charging for an ambulance either.  It really irked us actually because you get the standard fee for cleaning, meds, bandages, etc and then they charge you for fuel. My H's ambulance ride was about 5 minutes and they charged $70 for fuel.  As if that's as much fuel they used.  Pissed me off.   

jilybeans4

Sadly, if the cancer is so aggressive that 2 weeks is going to make a lot of change...chances are it is too late to do much at that point anyway. There is no perfect answer...waiting for care is not good, at all. But paying far more than you could ever afford for healthcare means that for many, they will not use healthcare and be far worse off. Or they will use healthcare, then be in debt and not able to pay for living expenses or other kinds of care for their family. Or they will pay a lot, die anyway, and leave the debt from their care behind. Or many other scenarios. I don't know what the answer is, but its just not right the way things are right now, and something needs to be at least TRIED to change it.

mandysmear

Yeah some may have felt the same as you mrsE.  But, we already knew the outcome.  At that point they were just being thorough.  And also when this is all you know, you can't really complain because you don't know any different, you know?My mom didn't want to go but her doctor insisted.

mrsLesGrossman

Try, the cardiac bus charged over 3K for his ride.  Seriously, are they out of their fuucking minds?  Yeah, out of network coverage was good for me when my appendix burst.  The surgeon was out of network and they sent me a 12K bill for surgery.  It really worried me at first because I thought they rejected it.  I forgot who mentioned not being able to pay hospital bills but you should know, hospitals have what they call charity care, even if they are a private corporation.  I used to do fundraising for a hospital in the area and that is where the funding went.  They make you go through the medicaid/medicare process and what isn't covered is paid by charity care.  A lot of people don't know this and they should. 

jilybeans4

Oh I didn't mean treatment for someone in advanced stages of cancer is pointless or that they shouldn't be treated... I'm just saying that time difference isn't probably going to decide life or death. Cancer (in general) is not something that grows or changes much in a 2 week time period. Not that it is ideal to have to wait even 2 hours for treatment. But that access to treatment needs to be there, and currently it is out of reach for so many people. I personally have great insurance. I pay about $140 a month for DH and I to have insurance, we are covered for everything with a low deductible. I am very fortunate. I also don't want to pay more taxes. But I am very aware that this is not about ME and it is about what is best for my fellow citizens. It is not fair that I should have affordable access to healthcare while my neighbor does not. We should all have the same basic right to life and health. 

mrsLesGrossman

Jilly, some cancers are very aggressive and pass quickly through lymph nodes.  You are completely wrong and Drs who are responsible will do everything they can make sure your needs are met quickly.  I understand your point but in most cases, it doesn't make sense. 

jilybeans4

Mrs E, I'll concur that in SOME cases that doesn't make sense...in some cases, 2 weeks will make a difference. But I disagree that in MOST cases it will. I think in many (if not most) cases cancer is slow moving and until it reaches a certain point, doesn't change much on a day to day basis. If people have access to preventative care (which they don't, without heath insurance in the US), then they can take care of things before they reach that point. Anyway, in Mandy's example it doesn't sound like her mom wasn't getting any treatment at all...just had to wait 2 weeks for one test. I'm under the impression that things that are immediately life threatening are treated more quickly in Canada. Am I mistaken?

mrsLesGrossman

I said some, not most.  Don't argue semantics to try and prove a point that you are wrong about.  If a Dr is responsible, they will be diligent about treatment.  I have significant experience dealing with my family's cancer and my own.  I would not accept anything less than immediate treatment. 

wadingmoose

People aren't rampantly dying from cancer here.Testing and treatment is done in a timely manner, based on severity/urgency.There are people who don't like that. They'll go to the US and pay for the treatment and then whine that they had to do so.

jilybeans4

I understand your point but in most cases, it doesn't make sense. I'm not trying to argue semantics, there is just a huge difference between "some" cases and "most" cases. I personally believe we need to do what is best for MOST people...whereas right now we are doing what is best for SOME people. Since we are all human beings and citizens of the same country, I don't understand why some of us have more rights than most of us.It has nothing to do with Dr diligence  - I am certain doctors in Canada are diligent too. I would not accept less than immediate treatment for my family either - but they are insured. They have access to healthcare. I don't know what I would do if they did not. I am lucky that I don't have to worry about that.

mrsLesGrossman

It isn't hard to understand, capitalism is king and money talks.  It is horrible and unfortunate but that is how it is. 

lauralaur

I'm late to the party by now, but...It's not so much that I disagree with universal health care, it's that I disagree that this should be the solution to the problems with our healthcare system. From what I understand, malpractice insurance is by far the largest expense that a primary care physician incurs in the course of his/her practice. I think we need tort reform. There are a good number of people in the States who will sue anyone for just about anything these days; if we can curb that, it would be less expensive for a physician to run his/her practice, and then healthcare would be less expensive. I've been to a hospital overnight in both Scotland and the States and I have to say that the care I received in the States was far superior. Could have just been the individual hospitals I suppose, but I was not impressed with the hospital I stayed in in Scotland. My flatmate had several doctors appointments and surgery for a severed finger while I was living there and she was livid with the treatment she was receiving. Again, could have been the individual hospital (it was a different one from where I stayed). Massachusetts hasn't had incredible success with a public option. From what I understand, state health insurance does not reimburse physicians as well as private health insurance and it actually generates a loss for some physicians to take on patients that have state health insurance, so they don't. Then those patients still end up at the ER because they don't have a primary care and do not receive preventive care.